


Today’s Special: Torture

by paintedbluerose



Series: Whumptober [31]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Humor, Blood and Injury, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Torture, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020, Zuko (Avatar) whump, Zuko is embarrassed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27331558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintedbluerose/pseuds/paintedbluerose
Summary: Zuko is taken and whipped after Southern Raiders.Day 31 of Whumptober theme: today’s special: torturePrompts: experiment, whipped, left for dead
Relationships: Aang & Toph Beifong & Katara & Sokka & Suki & Zuko, Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Whumptober [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950010
Comments: 6
Kudos: 128





	Today’s Special: Torture

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, it’s a little late. My bad. I kinda had this idea for a little bit about Zuko being whipped and left for dead. Then I wanted a little humor towards the end. And maybe hint of Zutara or Zukka?

It was supposed to be a simple run. A quick stop along the way to regroup and head to back Ember Island. Plus Appa needed a break from flying so much. So they stopped at an island with a little town to grab a few things for the house at Ember Island that they needed. Zuko was thankful that Katara and him stopped by to check on the house and figure out what was needed.

Sokka wanted all the meats and maybe shopping for himself. Toph wanted to scam people. Katara and Zuko decided it would be best if only the two of them went as they were the most practical of the group. It shouldn’t have taken long.

Except Zuko was separated from Katara. (Split up to get more accomplished, she said.) It seemed harmless. The town seemed unimportant so maybe they wouldn’t have any problems.

It was his third stop of the day. There was a stand in front of a shop with various fruits. Zuko should have been fine with that. But the owner said come inside and see more. The best fruits! He should have said no. 

He walked in and someone came from his left. There wasn’t enough time to dodge the attack. A quick hit and he felt himself falling to the ground. The last thing he saw was the shop owner collecting a few coins from the man who attacked Zuko. The last thing he heard was the owner apologizing because he needed the money. 

~~~~

Katara was getting a little worried. It was getting late and she hadn’t seen Zuko. She couldn’t exactly ask about him either. It was the opposite of keeping a low profile. 

She was about to give up when she heard laughter between two men. Something told her to follow them. Once she saw them drag Zuko, she was glad she did.

She wanted to run in and save Zuko. She could do it too. She was strong enough. She could handle herself. What made her pause was the fact that Zuko was not awake and probably injured. What if they used him to make her stop attacking? Things would be worse. Could she guarantee both of their safety?

Even though she did not want to, she waited. She followed them. She saw where they took Zuko. Alone she couldn’t fight them and save him without a chance of making things worse. But with help from friends, she could.

Knowing where Zuko was, she rushed back to the camp site. She had Aang get Appa ready for a quick get away. The rest she had follow her.

~~~~

Zuko woke to pain in his arms. Opening his eyes, he saw his wrists were chained above his head. The chain was attached to the ceiling of the building they were in. His feet were just close enough to the ground had he been hanging from his chains, but his feet were chained to the floor which stretched out his arms and legs. No wonder they were in pain.

Two men walked in the room and circled Zuko. One carried a whip in his hand and the other was cracking a fire whip. Dread filled Zuko as he realized what was going to happen. They were going to whip him. His tunic was removed so there was no clothing for a possible protection.

“Looks like the traitor is awake. If I seem to recall, the warrant says wanted dead or alive, doesn’t it?” The firebender asked.

“That it does. Personally, I prefer dead. Makes things easier.”

Before another word was spoken, the whip hit Zuko’s back. He bit back a scream as the pain radiated his body. Heat from flames scratched at his back as the fire whip made contact. There was barely time to breathe in between each whipping. 

He could feel the blood trickle down his back as it was being torn open. He thought it was just the back they would focus on and when it was bloody enough they would stop. 

It wasn’t.

They moved to his sides and stopped on his chest. He couldn’t hold back a small scream as whips hit his chest.

They laughed as he screamed. Told him he was weak. No wonder he was a traitor. He couldn’t handle a decent whipping. 

They ripped his pants off and whipped at his legs. Zuko couldn’t stop the screams coming or the tears that started to fall. The pain was too much everywhere. They didn’t seem to want to stop. He was loosing too much blood. He wasn’t going to make it. He did not want to die here like this. 

He couldn’t keep his eyes open for very long. He looked down and saw red everywhere. Red down his chest. Red on his legs. Red on the ground. A pool of blood by his feet growing bigger. The last thing he saw was blood. His blood.

~~~~

Lee was having a great time. He hadn’t had this much fun in a very long time. He liked torturing people. He enjoyed hearing their screams and seeing them bleed. 

Once he saw the traitor Prince in their town, he knew what he had to do. He had to make the Prince bleed. He didn’t scream as much as Lee wanted but that was fine. 

“Do you think he’s dead?”

Lee looked at the unconscious traitor. “No. Not yet. It’s not long though.” There was no way anyone could survive that much blood loss. “Come on, let’s go get some lunch and send a hawk. Maybe by then he’ll be dead.” The two of them laughed. Torture was great.

~~~~

Katara felt sick. It was bad enough knowing she left her friend behind. But seeing them torture Zuko and hearing his screams made things so much worse. Even Toph looked a little green.

Thankfully, the men were leaving soon after they arrived. She was somewhat thankful they didn’t have to fight anyone. She had no problem fighting those who hurt Zuko but she needed to save energy to heal him.

“Sokka, can you cut the chains off his arms? Toph, the chains at his feet?” Katara asked as she pulled out a cloak to wrap around Zuko. She didn’t wait for an answer as she wrapped Zuko the best she could with the cloak. Suki helped her hold Zuko as Sokka broke the chains and Zuko fell.

“I can carry him.” Sokka offered. 

Katara was thankful he volunteered without her asking. There was no way she could carry him and she didn’t trust that those men wouldn’t come back if she tried to heal him right there. “Thank you. We need to get out of here and back to Appa.”

“Hang on, I can get us there quick.” Toph said. Once they were around her, she used her earthbending to rush them back to the camp.

Katara jumped on Appa to lead him to Ember Island house while Suki tried to wrap bandages over Zuko to slow the bleeding. When they arrived at the house, Katara rushed in to get a tub of water ready for Zuko. Sokka carried Zuko in and placed him gently in the tub. 

The more she healed Zuko, the more the water changed color. It was clear to a pale pink, to a brighter pink, to a dark pink and finally red. Satisfied she closed his wounds, she removed the water from the tub. Which brought another problem. One that was staring her in the face. He was naked. Somehow, either during the whipping or when he was moved around, his clothes were gone. All of them. And since Sokka removed the cloak and gave to Suki to destroy, there was nothing to cover Zuko.

“Oh. He doesn’t have any clothes on.” She stated, while still looking at him. 

“That’s not going to be awkward at all.” Sokka’s voice reminded her he was still in the room and she was still staring at Zuko. She looked up at Sokka and saw he was just starting to look at her. “Shouldn’t we... do something? About that?”

Katara was about to open her mouth when Zuko moaned and started to wake up. “Zuko! You’re okay!”

“Katara? Sokka?” Zuko blinked at the both of them. He then started to look around and Katara could tell the exact moment he realized his pantless situation. “Why am I naked?”

“I was healing you. And I thought you were covered but it turns out you weren’t. We just noticed it ourselves.”

“Yeah! It’s not like we were staring at you or removed your clothes or anything. Nothing like that.” Sokka squeaked. Katara was going to hurt her brother.

“I’m naked. And you both are seeing me naked.” Zuko covered himself though Katara felt it was pointless. 

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m a healer so I’ve seen this before.” Katara said.

“And I have the same! I mean not the same same. But the same. Similar same.” Katara was really really going to hurt her brother. Doesn’t he ever shut up?

“This is still not helping! I’m still naked and the both of you want to talk about me being naked and I don’t have any clothes yet!” Zuko raised his voice as he spoke, his face and neck growing redder as a blush spread.

“Oh right. Clothes.” Katara opened the door to the bathroom to notice Suki holding clothes for Zuko and Toph laughing in the background.

“I figured you needed these.” Suki smiled. 

“Thanks Suki!” Zuko yelled. “I’m glad someone thinks of clothes.”

Katara blushed, grabbed the clothes, and handed them to Zuko. He didn’t grab them and she kept holding them out for him. She didn’t understand until he glared at her. “Oh right. I’ll just put these here.” She placed them on him. Her and Sokka both stood there staring at Zuko, waiting for something. He didn’t move at all.

“Do you think you can leave so I can get dressed now?” 

“Right. We knew that.” Sokka said as they both walked out.

“Water Tribe.” Zuko mumbled as they closed the door. 

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone has been following these Whumptober stories I’ve done, I thank you! Those who had left kudos or bookmarks or comments, I appreciate it all!   
> And now Whumptober is over! Yay!!


End file.
